Blossoms in the Moonlight
by RonsHottiGrl
Summary: It's the Trio's 7th year, and the castle is destroyed. Ron, Harry, and Hermione must escape and fulfill their destinies. Can they stay together when the world is trying to tear them apart? Can Ron and Hermione's love survive the chaos? RHr HOC DG


_Okay, this is how it is. Ron, Harry, and Hermione are in there 7th year of Hogwarts. The Death Eaters are attacking the school, looking for Harry Potter. The Golden Trio must escape the power of the Dark Lord. Ron and Hermione must find a way to find each other after being separated, and Harry must complete his destiny to destroy Voldemort. Can all three of them find their way back together? Will love blossom under the moonlight? or will action and adventure galore stop them?_

_Please r&r! This is my first fic!_

_Disclaimer: i don't own Harry Potter. But I wish I owned Ron! Lol!_

* * *

Ron and Harry heard an explosion shake Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They looked out the window in awe.

"Oh, no!" said Harry. "Hufflepuff Tower is gone!"

The Deatheaters had stolen all of the Quidditch broomsticks and were now swarming the castle, shooting powerful spells. One had hit Hufflepuff Tower.

"What are you we doing to do?" asked Hermione, coming up behind her male friends. "The Dark Lord truly has risen again!"

"We have to go out and help them!" shouted Harry as he grabbed his newly-polished wand, his magical tool. "Let's go!"

Ron, Harry, and Hermione darted out towards Hufflepuff Tower, dodging the horrible spells that came at them from every angle. But it was too late by the time they reached the once-spacious Hufflepuff Tower.

Hermione began to cry. "Whatever shall we do? This is so horrible! Why has the Dark Lord done so many horrible things?"

A soft moan came beneath the pile of rubble.

"It must Justin Flinch-Flenly!" Ron cried. With Harry's help, he pulled the injured Justin to safety. "It's okay, Justin!"

Justin coughed up some blood. "Harry, I have to tell you something. I've been keeping something from you for years."

"No!" said Hermione. "We have to take you to see Madame Pomfrey!"

Justin shook his head. "No, it's too late for me. I already feel my strength waning. I… it was me that told the Dark Lord how to get Hogwarts."

Ron felt very angry. How could Justin have done this?

"Why would you do that?" asked Harry.

"I was angry and jeaolous of you." Justin coughed up more blood. "He promised me lots of power if I would do this for him. He was very convincing and I was foolish. But that's not what I needed to tell you. Harry, I am also a Parsel-mouth. I made that snake second year come toward me so I could frame you as a bad friend. I was just jealous."

Harry shook his head. "It's okay, Justin. I forgive you."

"Harry, I'm so sorry for everything. This is all my fault. And now Hogwarts will be destroyed."

"I will not let that happen," replied Harry firmly. "Justin, I promise you that I will find the Horcruxes and destroy Voldemort."

Justin looked at peace. "Thank-you, Harry. I know you will. But Harry, there is one more thing…"

"What it is it?" Harry asked urgently.

"Harry, you must know about her."

"Who's her?"

"She's…" Justin gasped for breath. He was clearly dying. "She's…"

But Justin's last words had been spoken. As the Deatheaters swarmed the nighttime skies of Hogwarts and Hermione sobbed, Justin died, unable to deliver Harry his final warning. There was a secret about Voldemort that Harry would never know.

Ron felt horrible. It wasn't fair that so many of his schoolmates had to die. Life had become a big mess for Ron and his friends. They were the Golden Trio, best friends for life. But now things were changing. They were no longer young and innocent. They were powerful, of-age wizards with their lives head of them, but Ron just didn't know if he could handle any more death and tragedy.

Harry wiped his eyes. "I never liked Justin, but I'm sad he's gone."

Hermione gave him a hug. "It's okay, Harry. I miss him, too. But we need to go McGonagall what has happened to Hufflepuff Tower."

Harry nodded. "And then we must go find the Horcruxes. I've been avoiding them for too long. If I stay here in this school, people will continue to die around me. I cannot let them have that fate. It is up to me to destroy Voldemort. We cannot stay in this school any longer pretending that everything is all right. It is up to us."

Ron's heart broke. He knew what he must do, but he just couldn't. "Harry, I'm sorry, but I can't go with you."

Harry looked shocked. "Ron, why can't you? I need you."

"I'm sorry, but I just can't. I need to be with my mother right now. Ever since Charlie was killed, she has been so upset. Things are so difficult, I don't know what else to do."

"I understand, Ron. Besides, it's my responsibility to kill Voldemort. I don't want you to be hurt because you are my best friend."

Ron felt very sad. "You're my best friend, too, Harry. Maybe someday I will be able to help you."

He didn't understand the anger that Harry truly felt.

"Ron, but I won't be able to stay here without you!" Hermione cried. "The truth is that I'm in love with you. I've always been in love you with."

"Really, Hermione?" Ron said. "Well, I've always you loved you, too."

"I've loved you since that first moment I saw you with dirt on your nose. I just can't continue without you. But I still stay with Harry. Harry needs me."

"No, Hermione," said Harry. "I can't endanger your life. You must go with Ron. Ron, take Hermione to the Burrow. You will both be safe there."

The three friends hugged for what could be the last time ever. Then Ron grasped Hermione's in his own. "My love will always be true, Hermione."

Then they kissed, under the pained sky of darkness. As the world fell apart around them, they felt at peace in each other's embrace.

Then they ran for the edges of Hogwarts, there fingers tightly intertwined. They would never let each other go.

But before they made it to safety, another explosion like the one that had destroyed Hufflepuff Tower overcame them.

Ron felt his fingers separate from Hermione's.

"Ron!" her voice called.

But it was too late. Darkness overcame Ron.

And when he woke up, Hermione was nowhere to be seen.

Ron spent hours searching for Hermione through the dark grounds of Hogwarts. Hogwarts had been destroyed. Even the lake had burned a charcoal gray, and the Whomping Willow wailed sadly in the distance.

Ron felt empty. Everything he had loved was gone.

Hermione landed in her home. She had Apparated there during the explosion. She looked around. The symbols on the VCR flashed. The HD-TV looked at her. All the necessities of Muggle life were familiar. She was home. She was safe from the world of magic and destruction. She felt sure the wrath of the Dark Lord could not get her here.

"Ron!" she called, expecting him to come out from behind a closed door. "Ron, where are you? I brought us to safety! Ron?" She cried a little louder. "Where are you? This isn't funny!"

The door opened. But it was not Ron. Her face fell at the sight of her mother.

"Honey!" her mom said. "Your back!" She was a tall woman with bushy brown hair just like her daughter's. Her eyes were blazing blue, and her nose was sharp with freckles. She was a dentist. "Isn't school going okay?"

"Oh, Mum!" Hermione cried in despair, tears filling her eyes. "It's so horrible! I don't know what to do anymore! And I don't know where Ron is! I tried to Apparate him with me, but he is not here!"

"Oh, Hermione!" her mother said with love. "I'm so sorry! Come here and tell me abll about it. I'll make us some cookies and I'll let you lick the spoon."

Hermione tried to wipe her eyes, but she was crying too hard. "No! I must go back and look for Ron!"

She Appareated to Hogwarts, leaving her mom in despair and confusion. But she was horrified at what she saw. Hogwarts was no more. And Ron… Ron was no where to be found.

She went back to her home, feeling as if her heart would never again be whole. "Mum, I'll lick that spoon now. Can we talk?"

One month later, Hermione awoke. She had sworn off magic, for it caused nothing but heartbreak and disaster. She was still sad, but she was beginning to cope with it.

"Hermione!" her mom said at breakfast. "You're not eating your strawberry pancakes!"

"Ron liked strawberry pancakes," Hermione said sadly.

Just then an owl sailed through the open window. It brought a letter from her new pen pal it's talons. She had been writing to him for about a week now.

"Hermione," said her father. "You need to stop moping about Ron and move on with your life."

"But I love him, Father. My new pen pal is the only one with a friendly attitude who can begin to fill the emptiness of my heart."

"Hermione, it's good you like this new mysterious pen pal, but it's time you started thinking about real boys."

"What do you mean?"

"Muggle boys, dear," said her father. "You're a beautiful girl, and this is your world now that you have sworn off magic. Your mother and I have arranged a marriage for you with someone we think you will like."

Hermione could not believe her ears. "What?"

"You know Betty who works at the dental office with us?" said her mother. "She has a cousin who is an accountant, and he has a second cousin with a son who is a fine young man. We think he will be good for you."

Hermione was shocked. How could her parents do this to her? She was too young to be married. She was but eighteen years old. "Have you met this fine, young man, either of you?"

Her father shook his head. "No, but he lives in Kent, and we feel in our hearts that you will be happy with them."

"Now, now, Gary," said her mother. "We don't want to rush our daughter into anything. If you don't like him on the day of the wedding, you don't have to marry him. I just don't think this magic is very good for your health, Hermione. I think you need to settle down and enter the field of dentistry. In a few years, you will have children and a white picket fence. Imagine the possibilities! And you will be happy with the non-magic folk."

"But I don't want to marry someone I don't love!" Hermione said. "I want to marry Ron!" she said in tears.

"Hermione, please, think about it," her father begged. "We just want what is best for you."

"But you don't know what's best for me! I've been gone so long! You don't even know who I am! I am a witch! However I try to deny it, I can't! But still, I will abide my vow to no longer practice magic. And I will never marry this person!"

"Yes, you will!" said her father. "As long as you live under our roof!"

"Gary!" her mother said. "Don't!"

"I'm eighteen, Father!" Hermione jumped to her feet. "I need to live my own life!"

Then she ran to her room, where she wrote a letter to the only person that she cared about in the whole world. Her pen pal. She had only known him a week, but his letters meant everything to her. She remembered a week ago when a large black owl came through her window. She did not know her pen pal's name, but it was a boy with the world crashing down around him, and he wished to break out. Just like her. They understood each other.

But he was not Ron. He would never be Ron.

Then a gentle tap came at her door. Hermione quickly finished the long letter she had written. "Come in!"

It was her father, looking not angry. "Hermione, can we talk?"

"I suppose," Hermione said coolly.

He sat down on her bed. He did look sorry. "There is something we should have told you a long time ago, dear. You were left on our doorstep when you were but a baby."

Hermione gasped. "Are you telling me that I am not your real daughter? Then how come I look like Mum?"

"We don't know. We always thought that was interesting, that you look so much alike."

"Who are my real parents?" Hermione asked.

Her father shook his head sadly. Hermione realized that even though they had fought, she loved him. "We don't know. The only clue we have to your heritage is this bracelet that was found with you."

He pulled a strange bracelet from his pocket and gave it to his adopted daughter.

"Oh, Father!" said Hermione. "It's beautiful!"

It was a lovely black bracelet with a snake engraven on the back. Hermione noticed it. "What could this mean, Father?"

"I don't know. But I know this may give you clues to your true family. Maybe that is why we arranged this marriage for you. So you could be safe among the Muggles."

Her father left the room. Hermione stared at the bracelet as a single tears escaped her eye. She did not understand her life. Everything she knew was a lie.

But somewhere out there was a family who truly cared about her. And a red-haired freckled boy who had stolen her heart.


End file.
